Zhu Xi was a great thinker and educator of the Southern Song Dynasty, and his theoretical doctrine became the official doctrine of the Imperial Examination in later generations, and his "Notes on the Collection of Four Books and Chapters and Sentences" became the official teaching material of the Imperial Examination.
Portrait of Zhu Xi
Zhu Xi's reputation in modern times is mixed, and it is undeniable that his ideas are a milestone in ancient Chinese philosophy.
But at the same time, his theory has a side of "saving heaven and destroying people's desires", believing that in addition to the basic desires of eating and wearing warmth, people should not pursue the desire to eat well and dress beautifully.
Therefore, Zhu Xi's theory developed into a later generation, which became synonymous with imprisoning thought, exterminating human nature, fooling the people, and being pedantic and stubborn, which had an indelible negative impact on the Chinese nation and the scholars of all generations.
But in modern times, even those who oppose Zhu Xi probably will not think that there have been some stories in Zhu Xi, which are far beyond the scope of basic "human desire".
It all started with an impeachment. According to the "History of The Song Dynasty", in the second year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1196 AD), a superintendent of imperial history named Shen Jizu put on a chapter to impeach Zhu Xi.
Ancient civilian officials impeached others, whether true or false, the impeachment of crimes must be more, the charges must be large, do not make a five major capital crimes, ten major crimes, simply embarrassed to say that they came to impeach.
And this Shen Jizu really lived up to the expectations of the public, and indeed made Zhu Xi's "Ten Major Crimes". The ten great sins are:
Disloyalty to the country, disrespect for the king, playing with the court, privately claiming the wealth of the deceased, Nani as a concubine, harming the wind and religion, disrespecting the old, coveting beauty, pseudo-learning against the party, and seizing people's cemeteries.
It seems that these crimes are more serious than one, but in fact, many of them are catching wind and shadows and exaggerating.
Zhu Xi lectured at Yuelu Academy
For example, the article "disrespecting the king" means that Zhu Xi is about to resign from the government at every turn, but the phenomenon of the Song Dynasty ministers coercing the emperor by resigning is very common, and when they talk about resigning from the official, they actually just want the emperor to listen to them.
Although this kind of behavior is not good, it is definitely not a crime, if it is a crime, then Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, and other ministers who have resigned many times should have been beheaded a long time ago.
Among these crimes, the ones that really caused an uproar were "Nani as a concubine" and "disrespect for the old" and "lust for beauty."
Zhu Xi, an old man, or a theorist who said "save heavenly reason and destroy people's desires", did the ugly thing of taking two beautiful nuns as concubines. If it is true, what face does Zhu Xi still have to preach his theory?
In addition, Nani's concubine is not Zhu Xi's biggest crime, he also has another crime - that is, the widowed daughter-in-law is pregnant! The accusation of this crime can be described as extremely vicious, Zhu Xitangtang is a big thinker, and as a result, he is questioned as a "dust-picking" father-in-law, even in modern times, this kind of violation of morality and ethics will obviously not be tolerated by the masses of society.
So are these two things that made Zhu Xi's reputation infamous and that some people still use it to criticize Zhu Xi to this day?
In fact, this kind of thing is likely to be a fabrication out of thin air.
Former residence of Zhu Xi Wuyishan
Judging from the situation at that time, at that time, it was in the midst of the Storm of the Qingyuan Party Struggle, and Han Xuan, a foreign relative of the DPRK, intended to monopolize power, and Zhu Xi, who had been the emperor's teacher, and Zhao Ruyu, who was then the prime minister, undoubtedly became a major problem for Han Xuan to get rid of.
Han Ji plotted to label Zhu Xi's learning as "pseudo-learning", but things did not go well, and later Shen Jizu served as the inspector of imperial history and launched another attack on Zhu Xi.
This time, they succeeded.
Less than a month after the impeachment was completed, Zhu Xi was deposed for his crime, and later Zhao Ruyu, the prime minister, was deposed, Taoism was regarded as a pseudo-study and was forbidden to spread, and the children of Taoism were also accused of being implicated in rebellion against the party.
The end of the party struggle was that Han Xuan won in the end.
Judging from the qingyuan party dispute, the impeachment of Zhu Xi was completely aimed at attacking Zhu Xi, not that Zhu Xi really did something rebellious. Nani's pregnancy of a concubine and a widowed daughter-in-law has not been confirmed by trial at all, let alone confirmed. These stigmas are all false sins.
But will these two crimes be so widespread? Even later generations have been arguing?
Because Zhu Xi put on two thank-you lists after he was deposed, this became ironclad evidence that Zhu Xi confessed to sin among some people.
However, is to be on the thank-you table a confession?
In ancient times, thunder and rain were the grace of the king, as long as the imperial court issued an official document to itself, whether it was promotion or disparagement, you had to write to Thank you! Because this is the grace that the imperial court gives you, and if you don't give thanks, that is a great disrespect to the imperial court, so how dare Zhu Xi not go to the thank you table?
The original text of the "Table of Thanks for the Fall of the Palace"
So in these two thank-you lists, did Zhu Xi confess his guilt?
In the "Table of Thanks for the Fall of the Palace", Zhu Xi said, "The courtiers discuss the sins of the courtiers, and beg for wisdom to judge", those people said that I had committed a crime, and Your Majesty should know how to judge. Doesn't this mean that I am wronged and ask Your Majesty to be the Lord?
He also said, "And the courtiers, who at first heard of it, and who followed this province, were deeply suspicious." "I don't even know I've done all these things, and I'm accused of this!" This is clearly an excuse rather than a confession.
In the "Cabinet of Fallen Secrets, According to the Former Official's Thank You Table", Zhu Xi also said: "Forgive all the examinations are not false, and the political envoys are sorry for throwing themselves in." The meaning of this sentence is: "Presumably those who impeached me must have been repeatedly examined and not slandered." ”
You say it's an admission to the crime? Or is it sarcasm?
Judging from the contents of Zhu Xi's two thank-you lists, he did not really admit his crime. Therefore, the only evidence that can be used as evidence of Zhu Xinani's pregnancy as a concubine and widowed daughter-in-law is not self-defeating.
Lecture Chart of Zhu Xi Liling Academy
No matter what influence Zhu Xi's theory caused in later generations, at least Zhu Xi himself still could not find any major problems in moral character, that is, the rulers of the Song Dynasty also later rehabilitated Zhu Xi, posthumously awarded him the title of Taishi, and posthumously honored him as the Duke of Huiguo, with the title of "Duke of Wen". His doctrine also gradually became an official doctrine, and it has not faded through generations.
Unfortunately, those vicious rumors can no longer be erased, and to this day, they are still used by people who do not know the truth to attack Zhu Xi's character, which is inevitably too sad, and it is really regrettable.